What's Life like as a Paramedic for the Chicago Fire Department?

Viewpoint from the Wife of a CFD Paramedic

Being married to a paramedic that works for the Chicago Fire Department, I have seen how arduous these medical personnel really work. What is a paramedic exactly? These are the men and women that provide emergency care, before arrival to the hospital. Their responsibility includes providing on-scene medical treatment for ill or injured individuals. No matter what the weather or if they are under-the-weather, these brave souls provide a generous service when they are working on their long 24-hour shifts.

Before even getting into this position, in order to get selected for the Chicago Fire Department's Paramedic program, you have to sign up on the Chicago Fire Department Paramedic list in hopes of making it as a Chicago Fire Department Paramedic candidate. Candidates are selected anywhere between 3-5 years. Applicants apply from everywhere! Then, only a handful of applicants are selected.

At this time, one of the strict requirements is that the paramedic and his family live in the city of Chicago. (No, you cannot even live in the neighboring cities either.) And once you do get selected into this elite group, you go through strenuous academic and physical exercises. This includes calisthenics, running up to 40 miles a week (again, no matter what the weather and no matter how you're feeling), and academically you need to learn and test include Basic Life Support, Advance Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), pediatric and trauma care, general orders, response plans, and safety.

After you successfully complete this 3-month ordeal, then you are a Probationary Paramedic. What does that mean? That means you obey all the rules and regulations defined for the CFD Paramedic. Mess up - and you're out. After a year, you are officially a Chicago Fire Department Paramedic! You are assigned to a fire station which has its own ambulance.